STUNNING STATISTIC: In three regular-season meetings since 1998, the winner of Michigan State-UConn has gone on to win the national championship each time. The teams also met in the 2009 Final four, when the Spartans upended the Huskies and later lost to North Carolina in the title game.

BILAS OR CALHOUN?: Be prepared to turn up the volume (on the radio) while watching tonight's game. Jim Calhoun joins Joe D'Ambrosio on the WTIC-1080 broadcast, which promises to be highly entertaining.

OLLIE'S DEBUT: The stage couldn't be bigger for Kevin Ollie's debut as UConn coach. Because of the early tip time, it's the first game of the 2012-13 college basketball season. It's the first NCAA game played overseas and it's against a high-profile, nationally ranked opponent.